Horst's Hunting Journal
by Raygallz
Summary: A found journal of a Pokemon hunter, detailing his travels, kills, and culinary expertise as he controls the populations of invasive species of Pokemon in Sinnoh.
1. Foreword

To the reader of this Journal:  
Greetings, my name is Allan Horst. I am 34 years of age, and I am a Pokemon hunter.

Now before you shut this book in disgust, I will open this journal with a brief explanation of why I am writing it and what it contains. As you may know, the practice of Pokemon breeding is widely practiced throughout all regions. Trainers breed for genetically superior Pokemon to use in combat, or to trade baby Pokemon to other trainers in exchange for a Pokemon they have not yet obtained. Coordinators breed for egg moves, and some breeders breed for Pokemon of differing colouration. Unfortunately, no matter who is doing the breeding, they will run into newly hatched Pokemon that have undesirable genetics, or isn't of a different colouration. Most don't give them a second thought, and release them into the wild. Those Pokemon that are released will establish a wild population as an invasive species, or be eaten by larger predators causing predatory numbers to rise, thus lowering the population of native prey species. Either way, this can upset even the most diverse and strong ecosystems of our world. That is where I come in.

I am a former Pokemon Ranger, now Pokemon Hunter. When people encounter undesirable newborn Pokemon, they usually release them instantly. To some it may seem cruel, effectively abandoning a newborn without parents into the wild, but that is not usually the case. One must also remember that the alternative to releasing is to simply kill the unwanted Pokemon, which many trainers cannot bear to do. They may be adopted into existing communities after release, and their survival rate is higher than one might expect. I am the solution.

A small group of hunters is established in each region, and when populations of non-indigenous Pokemon rise too high, one or two hunters may be dispatched to take care of the problem. Armed with tracking Pokemon, provisions and a high-grade rifle capable of taking down all but the largest of Pokemon with a well-placed shot, us hunters go about culling the invasive numbers. I am primarily based in Sinnoh, but the Hunter numbers are few due to the dangerous work, and so on occasion I have been called to other regions.

It would be an affront to nature to waste all the meat that the slain Pokemon supply, so I have become something of a traveling chef as I work. Included in my journal are the recipes I use for the deceased creatures, where applicable. Truthfully, this is more of a guide than a journal in some respects. Each day, I shall describe events, my kills for the day, and the recipes I use to cook them. Now that you know what to expect, it's time to dive in. I leave for my journey tommorow, heading north from Floroma into the outskirts of Eterna Forest, before heading East towards Mount Coronet. It is halfway up the mountain that we have received many reports of non-native Pokemon, mostly from Johto. Sightings include Stantler, Sentret, Tropius, Ursaring and grumpig, although I expect to find more species. My next entry shall be tomorrow evening.


	2. Chapter 1

Sept. 20, Day 1 of expedition  
Weather: warm, moderately cloudy

The first day of my trip has gone off without a hitch. 10 hours of hiking and I'm already more than 40 kilometers into the foothills of mt. Coronet, Another day at the same pace and I will be well into the mountain proper. My supplies will last me a week, more than enough to enter the range, establish a campsite and begin foraging for my own food. I encountered few Pokemon, mainly Shinx and Starly, none of which seemed interested in fighting me once they saw Rampardos. The terrain northeast of Florroma town is mainly rolling hills, with occasional rocky outcroppings that many small Pokemon seem to make their homes under. I have witnessed a pack of Shinx and Luxio living atop one of the larger spires, appearing to live in a cave close to the peak. By the looks of them and their numbers I could determine that this particular pride was several generations old and still going strong. I carefully avoided them and went on my way, lest I attract the ire of a Luxray for invading it's territory.

There was little to see and less to hunt, but that is to be expected of the first few days. These days are for travel and recon, the hours passing slowly as I plod through the highlands. I spotted no berries, contrary to my expectations, in these lush fields. Near sunset, as I was making camp, I saw a Skarmory blur past, the first Pokemon of note I have seen so far. I set up a camp underneath a large slab of stone, sidled up to a boulder like a lean-to, from the position of the rock I think it may have been caused by an intense rock or ground type wild battle. The lingering moisture from the wet summers of southwest Sinnoh occasionally drip onto my fire from the rim of the slab, creating a sizzling sound every so often that is oddly soothing. Tonight, for supper, I prepared a simple medley of greens that I discovered near my campsite, supplemented with my own supply of Miltank Jerky, and a mug of tea. As I write, I feel the results of my long hike taking their toll. I shall sleep now, and prepare for the next leg of my journey in the morning.


	3. Chapter 2

Sept. 21, day 2 of expedition  
Weather: warm, no clouds to be seen  
A close call today. After waking, I rekindled my fire, and cooked a meal of eggs and Tepig bacon in a skillet. Rampardos went off hunting on his own while I ate, and returned after presumably hunting and eating several Bidoof. As I was packing the saddlebags, a large object struck me in the side with considerable force. Stunned from the impact, I rolled a short distance and lay gasping for air. I looked up to see Rampardos squaring off with a Rhyperior, the saddlebags tossed to the side. Rhyperior smashed it's fists together and roared, digging it's feet into the earth. It must have come from underneath one of the other nearby rock formations, and it seemed that the Slab I was sleeping beneath was indeed leftover from a Rock Wrecker, presumably from defending it's territory. Rampardos bellowed a challenge, and the two behemoths charged together, fist meeting skull. I rose to command my partner, sending a Brick Break smashing into the chest of the rock titan. It seemed to pain it only slightly, since it only winced before retaliating with a Rock Blast. The beast was indeed made of solid rock. Dodging the hail of stones, Rampardos flew forward, Head Smashing the Rhyperior right on the chin. As it swayed in place, Rampardos delivered the finishing blow, an Iron Tail so powerful that it knocked our opponent back into a pile of rubble at the base of one of the outcroppings. Rampardos roared in victory, and I did not think the Rhyperior would be getting up any time soon. Recovering from the battle, I healed Rampardos and made sure none of my ribs were broken before heading on my way.

The journey through the foothills was largely uneventful, save for the growing silhouette of Coronet. I spotted my first target today, a herd of Stantler grazing in a clearing in the shadow of one of the peaks. Choosing my vantage point, a cluster of stone overlooking the clearing, I settled into my position. The thing about stantler hunting is to avoid looking at their horns. The average human cannot last more than ten seconds in direct sight of the antlers before toppling over from dizziness, or passing out entirely, hardly ideal conditions for killing one. I lined up my targets, two females, one male. The females I would kill for the job, reducing the breeding population, the male I would take for the horns. A hunter has to make a profit on the side, you see, and the antlers of a stantler fetch a hefty price for their medicinal and recreational properties. I took aim, and fired, killing the first female instantly. The rest bolted, seven making it into the woods before I shot the male in the back of his skull, startling the doe next to him. She took off to the right in a panic, leaving the herd. Her last mistake. Pulling the bolt back on my rifle, I caught the second female in the neck, felling her with a puff of pink mist. It was over in seconds. I took photos of the kills for evidence that I had completed my job. Rampardos needed lunch, so I instructed him to take the does' carcasses for himself. He was extremely pleased. I fetched the Buck from the edge of the forest and dragged him onto Rampardos's back as he dug in. I jotted down my kills in a notebook, along with the photos, and off we went.

Tonight we made camp under a grove of pines, not far from the Stantler clearing, where the ground noticeably sloped upward, and the mountain truly began to rise from the earth. The grasslands of yesterday nowhere to be seen, it was only rough pine forests and lichen encrusted rocks. The scent of punky wood, grass types and earth were blown about the grove on a modest breeze as I laid out my sleeping bag. There was no rain until at least two days from now, so I did not even bother putting up my tent. I strung the remaining Stantler up from the bough of a nearby tree, and began cleaning and dressing the carcass.

I planned on making a savoury venison stew tonight, something hearty to stave of the encroaching chill of autumn, and the attack of this morning. I heated a pot of water over my fire, and added some salt, oregano, onion, garlic and bay leaf from my culinary pack. While the concoction simmered, I seared the meat I had cut from the shoulder of the Stantler on a skillet for around fifteen minutes. I chopped carrots and potatoes and added them to the pot, then I added the browned meat and some flour for thickening. I was starving, and so I only let it stew for an hour and a half before taking it off the flames and eating, seasoning it with pepper. It was a recipe I learned from a woman during my travels to Blackthorne in Johto, and it had been some time since I had tasted it. It may be simple, but those whom have consumed it know not to scoff at the basics. Now, after finishing my meal, I bury the refuse and settle into bed. Recuperating from the events of today, I welcome the warm bedding. I set out for the first mountain tomorrow.


End file.
